Building Surveyor / Minor Projects Manager

About the Organisation

Our client is a major UK Higher Education institution with an extensive and diverse property portfolio located within a vibrant city-centre environment.

The estate comprises a broad mix of academic buildings, specialist research facilities, laboratories, libraries, teaching spaces, student residences, public-facing venues, sports facilities, and commercial assets. The portfolio includes both historic and listed buildings alongside contemporary developments delivered through significant capital investment programmes.

The Estates Directorate is responsible for maintaining and enhancing a complex estate that supports world-leading research, teaching excellence, student experience, and sustainability objectives.

The institution continues to invest significantly in campus improvements, estate modernisation, building performance, accessibility, and decarbonisation initiatives as part of its long-term estate strategy.

The Role

An opportunity has arisen for an experienced Building Surveyor / Minor Projects Manager to join a busy Estates Projects team responsible for delivering a wide range of refurbishment, lifecycle, compliance, and minor capital projects across the estate.

Working across a complex operational environment, the successful candidate will manage projects from feasibility through to completion whilst providing professional building surveying expertise to internal stakeholders.

Projects are typically delivered within occupied academic and operational buildings and may range from small reactive improvements through to significant refurbishment and upgrade programmes.

Likely project types include:

• Teaching and learning space refurbishments
• Research and laboratory adaptations
• Accessibility improvement schemes
• Building fabric renewal works
• Roof replacement and façade repairs
• Listed building refurbishment
• Fire safety improvement projects
• Compliance-driven upgrades
• Student accommodation refurbishment
• Office and workspace reconfiguration
• Sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives
• Public realm improvements
• Lifecycle replacement programmes

Project values are typically between £20,000 and £1.5m, with responsibility for managing multiple projects simultaneously.

Key Responsibilities

Building Surveying

• Undertake condition surveys and property inspections across a complex estate portfolio.
• Identify defects, building fabric issues and maintenance liabilities.
• Prepare technical reports, specifications and cost estimates.
• Provide expert advice on repairs, alterations, refurbishment and refurbishment strategies.
• Support estate condition assessment and lifecycle planning activities.
• Contribute to longer-term estate investment planning through technical recommendations.

Project Delivery

• Lead minor capital and refurbishment projects from inception to completion.
• Develop project briefs alongside academic and professional service stakeholders.
• Produce scopes of work, specifications, programmes and budget forecasts.
• Manage project governance, delivery risks and project reporting requirements.
• Coordinate consultant teams and specialist contractors.
• Monitor project costs and programme performance.
• Oversee testing, commissioning, handover and close-out activities.

Contract and Procurement Management

• Prepare tender documentation and technical specifications.
• Support procurement exercises in accordance with public sector regulations.
• Manage contractors operating within live environments.
• Administer project documentation and contractual processes.
• Review variations, valuations and final accounts.
• Ensure projects achieve value for money while maintaining quality standards.

Compliance and Health & Safety

• Ensure compliance with statutory obligations and University procedures.
• Support Client duties under CDM Regulations 2015.
• Ensure safe delivery of works within occupied teaching and research environments.
• Monitor contractor performance and site safety.
• Support wider compliance and building safety programmes.

Person Specification

Essential Experience

• Experience working as a Building Surveyor, Project Manager or similar Estates professional.
• Proven delivery of refurbishment and minor works projects.
• Experience managing projects within complex operational buildings.
• Strong understanding of building pathology and construction techniques.
• Experience preparing specifications and tender documentation.
• Experience managing project budgets and programmes.
• Ability to engage effectively with a broad range of stakeholders.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within Higher Education, NHS or large public-sector estates.
• Experience working on laboratory, research, teaching or heritage environments.
• Knowledge of sustainability and decarbonisation projects.
• Experience managing works within listed buildings.
• Familiarity with JCT and NEC contracts.
• Understanding of asset management and lifecycle planning methodologies.

Qualifications

Essential

• Degree or equivalent qualification in Building Surveying, Construction, Property or related discipline.

Desirable

• MRICS, MCIOB or equivalent professional accreditation.
• PRINCE2 or APM qualification.
• IOSH or NEBOSH certification.

Please click here to find out more about our Key Information Documents. Please note that the documents provided contain generic information. If we are successful in finding you an assignment, you will receive a Key Information Document which will be specific to the vendor set-up you have chosen and your placement.

To find out more about Real, please visit (url removed)

Real Staffing, a trading division of SThree Partnership LLP is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy | Registered office | 8 Bishopsgate, London, EC2N 4BQ, United Kingdom | Partnership Number | OC(phone number removed) England and Wales